"O LORD, My Heart Is Not Lifted Up..." - 22 June 2025

 

“O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.” You, O Mighty God, are the greatest good, you are the utmost in integrity, and you are supreme over life and death: we acknowledge that humility is a waning virtue; thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought, we think ourselves mighty, magnificent and marvelous in our modern technologies, scientific advancements, social sensibilities, social media platforms, medical feats, and military competencies. All of this egoism surfaces in our national and international politics and business ventures. Help us, in our communities and in our country to remember that we are but human, and therefore “a mere breath” (Psalm 39:5, 11)! To remember that “not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another” (Psalm 75:6-7). Bring us to remember this!

“But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.” Merciful Father, for those tumbling and tossing about in anxiety and alarm, we pray; for those worn out and worn thin from sickness, sadness, sorrow or scarceness, we pray; for those who found waking up this morning a challenge, we pray; for those pondering their future and all they can see are storms or privations, we pray; (…). May your presence and peace fill them with quietness and calm, with hope and wholeness.

“O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore.” O High King of Heaven give your strength and direction to your One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church throughout the world, in this place, and also Southside Landmark Baptist, Sunnymeade, Clear Spring, and Crosspointe Church; as well as for our upcoming General Assembly. Remove all that fosters schism and everything that spawns heresy. Overcome all that breeds racism and bigotry. Restore to us the joy of your salvation and guide us by your Spirit of Truth into all truth. Help us to bear true faith and allegiance to Christ the Lord that with full courage now as always Christ may be honored in our bodies, whether by life or by death (Philippians 1:20-21). / Thank you for our mission trip to Carnegie this last week. May the people who went, and those we interacted with, be filled with your life, love and liberty in Christ. And for our upcoming Heritage Sports Camp VBS in July we pray that not only will our kids gain richly, but that the others that come will know Jesus Christ the Lord. And please draw in kids and families who are no longer walking with you, or those who have never known you, and may this enterprise bring them to believe in Christ and become his followers all their days! In Jesus name, and for his honor, we pray.[1] And now we pray together in the power of the Spirit as Jesus taught, saying, “Our Father…”


[1] From Psalm 131

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